2012 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE tow

1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop and
shift the transmission to PARK.
2. Turn the engine OFF.
3. For vehicles with Keyless Enter-N-Go, re-
move the Keyless Enter-N-Go button and use
the key fob to complete this procedure. Refer to
“Starting Procedures/Keyless Enter-N-Go” in
“Starting and Operating” for further information.
4. Turn the ignition switch to the ON/RUN po-
sition, but do not start the engine.
5. Press and hold the brake pedal.
6. Shift the transmission into NEUTRAL.
7. Using the point of a ballpoint pen or similar
object, press and hold the recessed transfer
case NEUTRAL (N) button (located by the
selector switch) for four seconds, until the light
behind the N symbol starts to blink, indicating
shift in progress. The light will stop blinking
(stay on solid) when the shift to NEUTRAL (N) is
complete.8. After the shift is completed and the NEU-
TRAL (N) light stays on, release the NEUTRAL
(N) button.
9. Start the engine.
10. Shift the transmission into REVERSE.
11. Release the brake pedal for five seconds
and ensure that there is no vehicle movement.
12. Turn the engine OFF, then turn the ignition
switch back to the ON/RUN position without
starting the engine.
13. Firmly apply the parking brake.14. Shift the transmission into PARK.
CAUTION!
Damage to the transmission may occur if the
transmission is shifted into PARK with the
transfer case in NEUTRAL (N) and the engine
running. With the transfer case in NEUTRAL
(N) ensure that the engine is off prior to
shifting the transmission into PARK.
15. Attach the vehicle to the tow vehicle using
a suitable tow bar.
16. Release the parking brake.
17. Disconnect the negative battery cable, and
secure it away from the negative battery post.
NOTE:
• Steps 1 through 6 are requirements that
must be met prior to pressing the NEU-
TRAL (N) button, and must continue to be
met until the four seconds elapse and the
shift has been completed. If any of these
requirements are not met prior to press-
ing the NEUTRAL (N) button or are no
longer met during the four second timer,
NEUTRAL (N) Switch
278

then the NEUTRAL (N) indicator light will
flash continuously until all requirements
are met or until the NEUTRAL (N) button is
released.
• The ignition switch must be in the ON/
RUN position for a shift to take place and
for the position indicator lights to be op-
erable. If the ignition switch is not in the
ON/RUN position, the shift will not take
place and no position indicator lights will
be on or flashing.
• A flashing NEUTRAL (N) position indica-
tor light indicates that shift requirements
have not been met.
Shifting Out Of NEUTRAL (N)
Use the following procedure to prepare your
vehicle for normal usage.
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop, leaving
it connected to the tow vehicle.
2. Firmly apply the parking brake.
3. Reconnect the negative battery cable. 4. Turn the ignition switch to the LOCK/OFF
position.
5. Turn the ignition switch to the ON/RUN po-
sition, but do not start the engine.
6. Press and hold the brake pedal.
7. Shift the transmission into NEUTRAL.
8. Using the point of a ballpoint pen or similar
object, press and hold the recessed transfer
case NEUTRAL (N) button (located by the
selector switch) for one second.
NOTE:
When shifting out of transfer case NEUTRAL
(N), turning the engine OFF may be required
to avoid gear clash.
9. After the NEUTRAL (N) indicator light turns
off, release the NEUTRAL (N) button.
10. After the NEUTRAL (N) button has been
released, the transfer case will shift to the
position indicated by the selector switch.
11. Shift the transmission into PARK.
12. Release the brake pedal.
13. Disconnect vehicle from the tow vehicle.
14. Start the engine.
NEUTRAL (N) Switch
279

6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES
•HAZARD WARNING FLASHERS ................. 282
• IF YOUR ENGINE OVERHEATS .................. 282
• JACKING AND TIRE CHANGING ................. 283
• Jack Location .......................... 283
• Spare Tire Stowage ....................... 283
• Preparations For Jacking ................... 283
• Jacking Instructions ...................... 284
• Road Tire Installation ...................... 287
• JUMP-STARTING .......................... 287
• Preparations For Jump-Start ................. 288
• Jump-Starting Procedure ................... 288
• FREEING A STUCK VEHICLE ................... 289
• TOW EYES .............................. 290
• SHIFT LEVER OVERRIDE ..................... 290
• TOWING A DISABLED VEHICLE ................. 291
• Towing Without The Ignition Key Fob ............ 293
• Four-Wheel Drive Vehicles ................... 293
281

JACKING AND TIRE CHANGING
WARNING!
•Do not attempt to change a tire on the side
of the vehicle close to moving traffic. Pull
far enough off the road to avoid the danger
of being hit when operating the jack or
changing the wheel.
• Being under a jacked-up vehicle is danger-
ous. The vehicle could slip off the jack and
fall on you. You could be crushed. Never
put any part of your body under a vehicle
that is on a jack. If you need to get under a
raised vehicle, take it to a service center
where it can be raised on a lift.
• Never start or run the engine while the
vehicle is on a jack.
• The jack is designed to be used as a tool
for changing tires only. The jack should not
be used to lift the vehicle for service pur-
poses. The vehicle should be jacked on a
firm level surface only. Avoid ice or slippery
areas.
Jack LocationThe scissor-type jack and tire changing tools
are located in rear cargo area, below the load
floor.
Spare Tire StowageThe spare tire is stowed under the load floor in
the rear cargo area and is secured to the body
with a special wing nut.
Preparations For Jacking
1. Park the vehicle on a firm, level surface.
Avoid ice or slippery surfaces.
WARNING!
Do not attempt to change a tire on the side of
the vehicle closest to moving traffic, pull far
enough off the road to avoid being hit when
operating the jack or changing the wheel.
2. Turn on the Hazard Warning flasher.
3. Set the parking brake.
4. Place the shift lever into PARK.
5. Turn the ignition OFF. 6. Block both the front
and rear of the wheel
diagonally opposite of
the jacking position. For
example, if changing
the right front tire, block
the left rear wheel.
NOTE:
Passengers should not remain in the vehicle
when the vehicle is being jacked.
Jack Storage Location
283

7. For vehicle equipped with Quadra-Liftrefer
to “Quadra-Lift — If Equipped” in “Starting And
Operating” for further information on disabling
automatic leveling.
Jacking Instructions
WARNING!
Carefully follow these tire changing warnings
to help prevent personal injury or damage to
your vehicle:
• Always park on a firm, level surface as far
from the edge of the roadway as possible
before raising the vehicle.
• Turn on the Hazard Warning flasher.
• Block the wheel diagonally opposite the
wheel to be raised.
• Set the parking brake firmly and set an
automatic transmission in PARK.
• Never start or run the engine with the
vehicle on a jack.
• Do not let anyone sit in the vehicle when it
is on a jack.
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
• Do not get under the vehicle when it is on a
jack.
• Only use the jack in the positions indicated
and for lifting this vehicle during a tire
change.
• If working on or near a roadway, be ex-
tremely careful of motor traffic.
• To assure that spare tires, flat or inflated,
are securely stowed, spares must be
stowed with the valve stem facing the
ground.
CAUTION!
Do not attempt to raise the vehicle by jacking
on locations other than those indicated in the
Jacking Instructions for this vehicle. 1. Remove the spare tire, jack, and tools from
storage.
2. Loosen (but do not remove) the wheel lug
nuts by turning them to the left, one turn, while
the wheel is still on the ground.
3. Assemble the jack and jacking tools.
CAUTION!
Do not attempt to raise vehicle by jacking on
locations other than those indicated in the
Jacking Instructions for this vehicle.Jack Warning Label
Jack and Tool Assembly
284

6. Raise the vehicle by turning the jack screw
clockwise. Raise the vehicle only until the tire
just clears the surface and enough clearance is
obtained to install the spare tire. Minimum tire
lift provides maximum stability.
WARNING!
Raising the vehicle higher than necessary can
make the vehicle less stable. It could slip off
the jack and hurt someone near it. Raise the
vehicle only enough to remove the tire.
7. Remove the lug nuts and wheel. 8. Position the spare wheel/tire on the vehicle
and install the lug nuts with the cone-shaped
end toward the wheel. Lightly tighten the nuts.
CAUTION!
Be sure to mount the spare tire with the valve
stem facing outward. The vehicle could be
damaged if the spare tire is mounted incor-
rectly.
WARNING!
To avoid the risk of forcing the vehicle off the
jack, do not tighten the wheel nuts fully until
the vehicle has been lowered. Failure to follow
this warning may result in personal injury.
9. Lower the vehicle by turning the jack screw
counterclockwise, and remove the jack and
wheel blocks.
10. Finish tightening the lug nuts. Push down
on the wrench while at the end of the handle for
increased leverage. Tighten the lug nuts in a
star pattern until each nut has been tightened
twice. The correct wheel nut tightness is 110 ft
lbs (150 N·m). If in doubt about the correct
tightness, have them checked with a torque
wrench by your authorized dealer or at a ser-
vice station.
11. Lower the jack to the fully closed position
and return it and the tools to the proper posi-
tions in the foam tray.
12. Remove the small center cap and securely
store the road wheel in the cargo area.
Rear Jacking Location
Mounting Spare Tire
286

13. Have the aluminum road wheel and tire
repaired as soon as possible, properly secure
the spare tire with the special wing nut torqued
to 3.7 ft-lbs (5 N·m), reinstall the jack and tool
kit foam tray, and latch the rear load floor cover.
WARNING!
A loose tire or jack, thrown forward in a
collision or hard stop could endanger the
occupants of the vehicle. Always stow the jack
parts and the spare tire in the places provided.
Have the deflated (flat) tire repaired or re-
placed immediately.
Road Tire Installation
1. Mount the road tire on the axle.
2. Install the remaining lug nuts with the cone
shaped end of the nut toward the wheel. Lightly
tighten the lug nuts.
WARNING!
To avoid the risk of forcing the vehicle off the
jack, do not tighten the wheel nuts fully until
the vehicle has been lowered. Failure to follow
this warning may result in personal injury.
3. Lower the vehicle to the ground by turning
the jack handle counterclockwise.
4. Finish tightening the lug nuts. Push down on
the wrench while at the end of the handle for
increased leverage. Tighten the lug nuts in a
star pattern until each nut has been tightened
twice. The correct tightness of each lug nut is
110 ft/lbs (150 N·m). If in doubt about the
correct tightness, have them checked with a
torque wrench by your authorized dealer or
service station. 5. After 25 miles (40 km) check the lug nut
torque with a torque wrench to ensure that all
lug nuts are properly seated against the wheel.
JUMP-STARTINGIf your vehicle has a discharged battery it can
be jump-started using a set of jumper cables
and a battery in another vehicle or by using a
portable battery booster pack. Jump-starting
can be dangerous if done improperly so please
follow the procedures in this section carefully.
NOTE:
When using a portable battery booster pack
follow the manufacturer’s operating instruc-
tions and precautions.
CAUTION!
Do not use a portable battery booster pack or
any other booster source with a system volt-
age greater than 12 Volts or damage to the
battery, starter motor, alternator or electrical
system may occur.
Stowed Spare
287

CAUTION!
Racing the engine or spinning the wheels may
lead to transmission overheating and failure.
Allow the engine to idle with the shift lever in
NEUTRAL for at least one minute after every
five rocking-motion cycles. This will minimize
overheating and reduce the risk of transmis-
sion failure during prolonged efforts to free a
stuck vehicle.
CAUTION!
•When “rocking” a stuck vehicle by moving
between DRIVE and REVERSE, do not
spin the wheels faster than 15 mph
(24 km/h), or drivetrain damage may result.
• Revving the engine or spinning the wheels
too fast may lead to transmission overheat-
ing and failure. It can also damage the tires.
Do not spin the wheels above 30 mph
(48 km/h) while in gear (no transmission
shifting occurring).
WARNING!
Fast spinning tires can be dangerous. Forces
generated by excessive wheel speeds may
cause damage, or even failure, of the axle and
tires. A tire could explode and injure someone.
Do not spin your vehicle’s wheels faster than
30 mph (48 km/h) or for longer than 30 sec-
onds continuously without stopping when you
are stuck and do not let anyone near a
spinning wheel, no matter what the speed.
TOW EYESYour vehicle is equipped with tow eyes, which
are mounted in the front and the rear.
CAUTION!
Tow eyes are for emergency use only, to
rescue a vehicle stranded off road. Do not use
tow eyes for tow truck hookup or highway
towing. You could damage your vehicle. Tow
straps are recommended when towing the
vehicle; chains may cause vehicle damage.
WARNING!
Stand clear of vehicles when pulling with tow
eyes. Tow straps and chains may break, caus-
ing serious injury.
SHIFT LEVER OVERRIDEIf a malfunction occurs and the shift lever
cannot be moved out of the PARK position, you
can use the following procedure to temporarily
move the shift lever:
1. Firmly apply the parking brake.
2. Turn the engine OFF.
3. Remove the rubber liner from the cupholder
(located next to the shifter on the center con-
sole).
4. Using a screwdriver or similar tool, carefully
remove the shift lever override access cover,
located on the bottom of the cupholder.
290